Collapsible inflatable boat

ABSTRACT

A collapsible inflatable boat has a substantially rigid buoyant bottom with inflatable float means fixedly attached thereto and can be collapsed to occupy substantially no more space than is occupied by the bottom alone while still retaining sufficient buoyancy to float in its collapsed condition. When inflated, the boat can be propelled by motor, sail or oars.

United States Patent Serra [451 Oct. 3, 1972 [54] COLLAPSIBLE INFLATABLE BOAT [72] Inventor: Juan Duarry Serra, Calle Rosellon,

1, Barcelona, Spain [22] Filed: Dec. 1, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 94,055

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 22, 1970 Spain 6 72 [52] US. Cl. ..9/2 A [51] Int. Cl. ..B63b 7/08 [58] FieldofSearch ..9/2 A,2S,2C,2R, 11 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,611,459 10/1971 Sear et a1. ..9/2 A Desanges ..9/2 A 7/1966 Klepper ..9/2A 4/1969 Goyen ..9/6

Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant ExaminerCarl A. Rutledge AttorneyChristen & Sabol [57] ABSTRACT A collapsible inflatable boat has a substantially rigid buoyant bottom with inflatable float means fixedly attached thereto and can be collapsed to occupy substantially no more space than is occupied by the bottom alone while still retaining sufficient buoyancy to float in its collapsed condition. When inflated, the boat can be propelled by motor, sail or oars.

12 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures COLLAPSIBLE INFLATABLE BOAT The present invention relates. to improvements in a collapsible boat usable either as a rowboat, sailboat or outboard-motorboat, of the type comprising inflatable float means and a substantially rigid bottom. For instance, it may be provided with two longitudinally extending floats, attached along the bottom portion, which converge at their front ends towards the bow of the boat.

It is a requirement for collapsible inflatable boats of this type that, in addition to providing an absolute guarantee of buoyancy, they would be capable of being folded and unfolded quickly and easily, and also that they occupy in their collapsed condition the least space as possible to facilitate their transport and storage from place to place.

Usually collapsible boats comprise a bottom made of flexible sheet materials, such as rubber-coated fabrics to which the floats are attached as well as the support means for a motor in the stern, if it is the type of boat designed for operation with an outboard-motor. On top of this rubber-coated fabric there is usually included a second rigid and unmovable bottom, either of wood or of some other suitable material, so that between the rubber-coated fabric and the rigid bottom a keel may be arranged which may be inflated or also formed of a rigid material.

This whole combination of elements previously used for a collapsible inflatable boat, such as the rubbercoated fabric bottom, the rigid bottom, the keel, the floats, the transverse beams, etc., causes it to be a slow and annoying task to assemble and disassemble the boat.

In addition, this type of boat necessarily requires the float means to be completely inflated at all times if the risk of sinking is to be avoided, since the bottom by itself does not provide sufficient buoyancy to the boat to provide any margin of safety if it carries occupants.

Moreover, in this type of collapsible boat, water is liable to collect in the space confined between the wooden bottom and the fabric bottom in the vicinity of the keel, if the water is rough enough to allow waves to come over the side, with the resultthat the weight of the boat is thereby increased and its speed is accordingly reduced. The confined space is also disadvantageous because sand can penetrate into it causing damage by abrasion which can destroy the floats and the bottom.

One object of the present invention is therefore to provide a type of collapsible inflatable boat which can be used either as a rowboat, sailboat and/or outboardmotorboat, having a much simpler structure than the ones used before and providing assembling and disassembling operations which can be very easily and quickly performed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a boat bottom which is capable of maintaining the whole boat buoyant even if it carries passengers and its floats are deflated, and at the same time to completely eliminate all spaces susceptible of collecting water or sand.

These improvements basically consist in that the bottom of the boat is formed of a buoyant body of a waterproof, rigid and light material, the inflatable float means extending continuously along the side margins and the bow portion of said bottom and being fixedly attached thereto, the under surface of said bottom being formed with a longitudinally extending keel and the upper surface of said bottom defining the floor of the boat and being formed with a plain surface. A substantially rigid upstanding transverse support means is also provided at the stern portion of the bottom for supporting an outboard motor means, defining with said bottom and said float means a cockpit, all these elements permitting a collapsing operation of the boat by deflating the float means, folding them around the margins and the bow portion of the bottom and placing them on top thereof to reduce the collapsed dimensions of the boat essentially to those of the bottom alone.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, by way of example, in relation to the accompanied drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a collapsible inflatable boat which can either be used as rowboat, sailboat and/or outboard-motorboat, according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the boat of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view along line III-III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the boat.

FIG. 5 is a side view, partially in longitudinal vertical section, of a boat having a modified form of stem portion.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-section view along line Vl VI of FIG. 5.

The bottom 1 of the boat is formed, as already mentioned, of a body of a water-proof, rigid and light material, such as for instance glass fiber reinforced polyester or any analagous material, with two parallel inflatable floats 2 extending along the side margins of bottom 1 and a third generally U-shaped inflatable float 14 extending along the bow portion of bottom 1 and being connected to both said floats 2. The floats 2 and 14 are generally cylindrical in cross-section and the marginal portions of said bottom 1 are provided with longitudinally extending arcuate edge surfaces 16 for abutting engagement with the surface of the floats and to permit the floats to be securely attached to the bottom to minimize their displacement. This increases the lateral rigidity of the floats when inflated, the relative position of the floats towards the bottom remaining essentially the same with changes of the load inside the boat or with variable immersion of the floats into the water, and contributes to increasing the comfort of the passengers.

A shelter fabric 15 may also be affixed to the upper part of float 14 to provide a sheltered space which affords protection from water which splashes over the bow.

The under side 3 of the bottom 1 is formed with a keel 4, whereas the upper side 5 defining the floor of the boat is formed with a plain surface. At the stern of the rigid bottom 1 a transom 6 is placed which can be fixedly or tiltably mounted, as desired, by means of hinges 13, said transom being able to support an outboard-motor (not shown).

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 the transom is fastened to the substantially rigid bottom 1 by means of metallic tension cables 7, attached at their forward ends to the floor, whereas in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 the transom is secured in its upstanding position by means of two forwardly projecting rigid bracing members 8 affixed either to the bottom 1 or to the floats 2.

The bottom 1 of the boat (FIGS. 3 and 6) comprises two external layers of a water-proof, rigid and light weight material having an internal core 9 of an insulating material of great buoyancy, such as foamed closedcell polyurethane, in order to make the boat buoyant even if the floats 2 and 14 are deflated.

The boat assembly may also be provided with several handles 10 to facilitate its transport, with oarlock means 11 to fix corresponding oars therein, and with valve means 12 to permit the floats 2 and 14 to be inflated or deflated.

While the generally U-shaped float means which surrounds the side and forward margins of the substantially rigid bottom is shown in the drawings as being formed of individually fabricated sections 2 and 14, it will be understood that, if desired, they could be fabricated as a unit. It will also be understood that, in either case, they could be internally connected so as to be capable of inflation and deflation by means of a single valve means, or additional compartmentation could be provided so as to minimize the chance of a loss of buoyancy in the event a single compartment should become damaged.

The improvements in collapsible inflatable boats according to the present invention provides a type of boat, the assembling and disassembling of which is a quick and easy operation. Indeed, the collapsing of the boat only requires the float means to be deflated and placed on top of the rigid bottom 1, the boat thus being basically reduced to the dimensions of the bottom alone.

Additionally, the bottom 1 can vided, along either transverse directions, into smaller sections so reduce the size of the collapsed boat.

A further great advantage of the inflatable boat according to the invention consists in that due to the bottom 1 comprising a rigid body and an internal core 9 of an insulating material, the boat is buoyant even if the floats 2 are deflated and persons are being carried.

By arranging the substantially rigid bottom 1 between the floats 2 (FIGS. 3 and 6) all possible confined-spaces are eliminated which could be susceptible of trapping water or sand, which would cause an increase of the weight of the boat, and a corresponding be further subdior longitudinal as to even further decrease in its capability for speed, as well as increasing the risk of damaging the floats or the bottom itself.

The fin-shaped keel 4, contributes to better stability and planning action in the water, permitting higher speeds with the same motor and the same fuel consumption.

l claim:

1. In a collapsible inflatable boat comprising a single substantially rigid buoyant bottom having two side margins, a bow portion and a stern portion, and including a longitudinally extending integrally formed keel, said bottom defining a substantially flat floor of the boat, inflatable float means extending continuously along said side margins and said bow portion of said bottom and of the float means, and a substantially rigid support means secured at said stern portion for supporting an outboard motor means, said boat having an inflated condition in which said float means is inflated and in essentially invariable position with respect to the bottom, and a deflated condition in which said float means is deflated and positioned on top of said bottom, folded around the margins and the bow portion thereof, the collapsed dimensions of the boat in said deflated condition being essentially reduced to the dimensions of the bottom alone.

2. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 1, wherein the buoyancy of said bottom alone is sufficient to enable the boat carrying passengers to float when the float means is deflated.

3. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 2, wherein said substantially rigid bottom of the boat comprises two external layers of a water-proof, rigid and light weight material and an internal core of an insulating material of great buoyancy.

4. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 3, wherein said external layers comprise glass fiber reinforced polyester.

5. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 3, wherein said internal core comprises foamed closedcell polyurethane.

6. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim ,1, wherein said inflatable float means comprises two longitudinally extending inflatable floats which converge at their front ends towards the bow of the boat.

7. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 1, wherein said inflatable float means comprises two parallel inflatable floats extending along said side margins of said bottom and a third generally U-shaped inflatable float extending along said bow portion of said bottom.

8. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 1, wherein said float means is provided with oarlock means.

9. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 1, wherein said float means is generally cylindrical in cross-section and the marginal portions of said bottom are provided with longitudinally extending arcuate edge surfaces for abutting engagement with the surface of said float means to increase the lateral rigidity of the float means when inflated.

10. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 1, wherein said support means is transversely disposed between said float means at the stern portion of said bottom and defines with said bottom and said float means a cockpit.

11. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 10, wherein said transversely disposed support means comprises a transom tiltably mounted on said bottom of the boat and being secured in its upstanding position by means of cables.

12. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 10, wherein said transversely disposed support means comprises a transom tiltably mounted on said bottom of the boat and being secured in its upstanding position by means of rigid bracing members. 

1. In a collapsible inflatable boat comprising a single substantially rigid buoyant bottom having two side margins, a bow portion and a stern portion, and including a longitudinally extending integrally formed keel, said bottom defining a substantially flat floor of the boat, inflatable float means extending continuously along said side margins and said bow portion of said bottom and being fixedly and permanently attached thereto along a surface extending upwardly to less than half the height of the float means, and a substantially rigid support means secured at said stern portion for supporting an outboard motor means, said boat having an inflated condition in which said float means is inflated and in essentially invariable position with respect to the bottom, and a deflated condition in which said float means is deflated and positioned on top of said bottom, folded around the margins and the bow portion thereof, the collapsed dimensions of the boat in said deflated condition being essentially reduced to the dimensions of the bottom alone.
 2. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 1, wherein the buoyancy of said bottom alone is sufficient to enable the boat carrying passengers to float when the float means is deflated.
 3. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 2, wherein said substantially rigid bottom of the boat comprises two external layers of a water-proof, rigid and light weight material and an internal core of an insulating material of great buoyancy.
 4. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 3, wherein said external layers comprise glass fiber reinforced polyester.
 5. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 3, wherein said internal core comprises foamed closed-cell polyurethane.
 6. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 1, wherein said inflatable float means comprises two longitudinally extending inflatable floats which converge at their Front ends towards the bow of the boat.
 7. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 1, wherein said inflatable float means comprises two parallel inflatable floats extending along said side margins of said bottom and a third generally U-shaped inflatable float extending along said bow portion of said bottom.
 8. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 1, wherein said float means is provided with oarlock means.
 9. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 1, wherein said float means is generally cylindrical in cross-section and the marginal portions of said bottom are provided with longitudinally extending arcuate edge surfaces for abutting engagement with the surface of said float means to increase the lateral rigidity of the float means when inflated.
 10. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 1, wherein said support means is transversely disposed between said float means at the stern portion of said bottom and defines with said bottom and said float means a cockpit.
 11. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 10, wherein said transversely disposed support means comprises a transom tiltably mounted on said bottom of the boat and being secured in its upstanding position by means of cables.
 12. A collapsible inflatable boat as defined in claim 10, wherein said transversely disposed support means comprises a transom tiltably mounted on said bottom of the boat and being secured in its upstanding position by means of rigid bracing members. 